1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to battery cells, and more particularly, to a process of attaching said cells into a module structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
As the need arises to obtain higher voltages and/or current capacity, individual battery cells are electrically connected in a parallel or series manner. Depending upon the above requirements, individual battery cells can be structurally independent or grouped together to form a module of several cells which are further electrically connected to other modules to form a modular battery system.
In particular, the cells of the module can be structurally connected by a variety of techniques. For example, one method is to place the cells in a tray-like device with hold-down straps. This method fails to reduce the overall weight of the group of cells. The overall weight would be equal to the sum of the individual cell weights plus the weight of the tray and the hold-down straps. The module weight is of concern when its weight is close to a person's lifting ability or is used in a moving vehicle where extra weight equates into greater fuel consumption.